“Did Silver go through the files he recovered? If you think the center was blocking his information, that would be your proof.”
“You’re sharp,”Lorcan praised.“That’s where my assumption comes from. Obsidian Vey is not registered as a patient within any of their internal files. Either they were not keeping files on him, or they were sent somewhere that we could not access.”
That figured. “We need a car to get out of here. You think you can send us one?”
“There is a gas station fifteen and three-quarters of a mile from the Kincaid residence. I have something waiting there for you. The plates will give you no trouble. ID is in the visor.”
“You did know I would call.” It was almost reassuring, in a way, how competent Lorcan could be in a situation like that.
He scoffed as if offended.“I’m not ignorant, Roman. You’re right not to take one of the Kincaid cars. It would look suspicious. Besides, there are external signals being broadcastsomewhere that we’re looking into. Someone has them bugged. I’m not sure why.”
“Kincaid had a tracker implanted in Sidian’s body when he was unconscious from childbirth,” Roman said, and it took serious effort not to crush the phone in his hand. He had to remind himself it belonged to Lilac. “Can you do anything about that?”
“I’ll have Silver on it. We’ll cut the signal if we can find it, though I must advise that you find a safe and reliable way to remove it as soon as possible. Just in case.”
Roman would figure that one out on his own; it wasn’t something his mate should have to worry about. Part of him wanted to do it in the house, then and there, but he didn’t trust himself not to do something wrong, and he knew precious little about first aid. “I’m not coming back to the Vipers.”
Lorcan sighed at him.“I knew that the moment I was told you went missing.”
“Were you worried about me?”
“Worried about you?”Lorcan laughed into his ear, and Roman’s lip twitched at the corner.“No, Roman. I’ve never needed to worry about you, no matter the circumstance. Not because you are a prime alpha and not because you are forever a serpent of Ouroboros. You have been competent from the moment we took you in, so I assume this is a quality that belongs to you.”
“I owe you some gratitude. The mercenary training helped with the Kincaids. I don’t know if I would have been able to handle them without it.” He considered, eyes flicking toward the living room over his shoulder to where Puppy was rearranging her things once again. “And I wouldn’t have known who Puppy was at all. I would have either killed her, or she would have killed me.”
“Oh, she would have killed you,”Lorcan reassured him.
Roman rolled his eyes. “Just the same. Thank you. I know what would have happened to me if you had left me in that jail cell, and you could have. You have plenty of talented people at your disposal. If you hadn’t stepped in, I never would have been able to save Sidian.”
“For that, you are welcome,”Lorcan said, and Roman bit back a smile. Of course, he was welcome.“I would like you to be careful, and to take care of yourself, your mate, and your child. Should you need anything, reach out. My resources are vast and limitless, and manipulating the stocks of the tech sector is proving to be lucrative these days.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks again.” Roman exhaled, then hung up the phone, closing that chapter of his life once and for all.
Puppy trotted up to him, outfitted with the black leather bag and all the clothing Lilac had convinced her to take. She had changed from her torn dress into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, with a sweatshirt tied around her waist in case she got cold. With her auburn hair washed and tamed and her face cleaned of dirt and grime, she looked normal. The only thing that set her apart was the crimson blaze of her eyes, but there was nothing they could do about that. It would be a part of her for the rest of her life, and she would do well to learn to live with it.
Roman gave her hair a light ruffle. “You ready to hit the road?”
She didn’t answer with words, scowling at him as she swatted his hand before giving him a firm nod. She might never speak again, but he was hoping she found her words one day.
It was reckless to take off on foot, and he knew that as well as anyone else, but a few hours’ walk to the gas station felt far safer than taking the Kincaid cars especially now that Lorcan confirmed they were bugged. Sidian’s tracker would stop being a problem soon, and when they were somewhere safe, Romanwould locate someone capable of removing it without hurting his mate more than was necessary. A hospital was an option, but Goddess only knew what information might turn up there.
They could have waited for the Mambas, but none of them wanted to. The itch to get out of the house was powerful, and now that Roman’s little family had been reunited, he wanted to spirit them away from the blood and the gore as soon as possible, no matter what it took to do so.
Sidian tucked Amethyst’s blanket back around her, eyeing Roman. “Are you sure about carrying her? I can do it if you don’t think you can manage.”
“I can manage.” Roman tilted his head toward the car seat. “Strap her in. I’ve got her.”
He hadn’t said it out loud, not wanting to disturb the fragile peace in the house, but part of him feared the cars might have trackers of some kind. If the Kincaids had been working alongside traffickers, it was always possible. He didn’t know how important they were or if anyone would come looking for them, so their plates could stay where they belonged for the time being. Goddess forbid they take one of the fancy pieces of shit just down the road only to trip a system Roman didn’t know about and couldn’t expect. He could handle anything that endangered Sidian, but also, he was tired. He needed a break, and it was a nice day out.
He and Sidian had gotten this far. They could keep going together.
“All right,” Lilac said, zipping the bag shut and handing it to Sidian. “Got as much in there as I could. There’s formula, but you should let her try to latch when she’s hungry. With you being pregnant, your milk production would kick back in right away. Assuming you want to breastfeed.”
Sidian tilted his head. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for your help.”
“Take care of yourselves out there. I mean, I think you have more than enough protection.” Lilac eyed Roman and Puppy, and Roman chuckled to himself. It was a compliment; he knew what he was capable of, and now he knew what Puppy was willing to do if need be. “Amey was a wonderful baby. I wasn’t ready for a kid, so I did the best I could do, but, Goddess, she was a breath of fresh air in this place. I’m glad you’re all together now. Just make sure you stay together.”
They would. Roman would make sure of that.
